Rev ch2
The full meaning of Nicolaitans, in its native tongue and in its
ecclesiastical setting, is that the bishops and prelates of the
Church have gained a triumphal victory or conquest over the
LAITON, the laity, until they have been compelled to submit to
the arbitrary dominion of men who have become that thing which
God hates - 'Lords over God's heritage':

"The elders who are among you I exhort, I who
am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and
also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:
Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as
overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest
gain but eagerly; NOR AS BEING LORDS OVER THOSE ENTRUSTED TO YOU
('lords over [God's] heritage' in the KJV Bible), but being
examples to the flock;" (1Peter 5:1-3).

The evidence of this full meaning is found in all our common
school dictionaries, among which we find the following
definition of the term "hierarchy: the power of dominion,
government by ecclesiastical rulers," to which the following is
introduced in evidence:

"If anyone shall say that there is not in the
Catholic Church a hierarchy established by the divine
ordination, consisting of bishops, presbyters and ministers, let
him be anathema, Council of Trent (translation) XXIII 6."
(Century Dictionary)

In other words, let anyone who has the audacity to say there is
not a hierarchy, not a collection of human beings who have been
given the power by other men of dominion, as ecclesiastical
rulers over churchmen who are declared God's heritage, let that
man be ACCURSED --- let death and hell and the devil get him.
Surely, the thing in which that ecclesiastical company is
glorying is their shame!

sadly this also happens among the boards of Protestant and
Independent churches as well........